George B. Butson, 87, of Ironwood Township, died Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, at Aspirus Grand View Hospital in Ironwood.      He was born Aug. 12, 1925, in Chicago, son of the late Pete and Hattie (Williams) Kieffer and the late adoptive parents Thomas and Mary (Golay) Butson, and graduated from Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on Aug. 10, 1943, serving in the South Pacific in the defense of Tinian and the Mariana Islands as an antiaircraft machine gun crewman during World War II, and was honorably discharged on Nov. 21, 1945. While on Tinian, George's main assignment was to protect the B-29 Enola Gay from the enemy before it dropped the atomic bomb on Japan. He was also middleweight boxing champion in Hawaii and Tinian.      Following his discharge, he lived in Chicago and Kansas City, Kans. where he boxed and pitched semi-pro baseball. He then came to Ironwood in 1948 and worked in the Cary Mine, retiring as safety inspector at White Pine Copper Co. in 1987.      On Oct. 14, 1950, he was united in marriage to the former Marilyn J. Aspinwall at the Zion Lutheran parsonage in Ironwood.      George was a life member of Ironwood American Legion Post 5, coached Little League baseball for many years, and served on the board of directors of Copper Peak. An avid golfer, he belonged to the Gogebic Country Club in Ironwood and Lake Fairway Country Club in North Ft. Myers, Fla, where he was club champion for two years. He also was a charter member of Eagle Bluff Golf Club in Hurley, Wis. George and Marilyn loved Florida, and spent 15 winters in Ft. Myers.      Surviving are his wife, Marilyn, of 61 years; son, George K. (Donna), New City, N.Y.; daughters, Candice (Jay) Baksic, Grosse Ile, and Tracey (Ken) Talaska, Ironwood Township; eight grandchildren, Kristen (Stephen) Coyle, New City, Carolyn Butson, Manhattan, N.Y., Lauren Butson, New City, Bhaird Baksic, Bronx, N.Y., Ben Baksic and Cody (Jason) Carter, both of Southgate, Emily (Dan) Hunt, Ironwood, and Thomas (Anna) Talaska, Bessemer Township; six great-grandchildren, Angelina and Lilyana Coyle, Gavin Baksic, Alex Hunt, and Katie and Jonathan Talaska; a sister, Alice Romano, Kansas City, Kans.; and numerous nieces and nephews.      Besides his parents, George was preceded in death by brothers, Jack and Kenneth Butson, and John, Pete and Jim Kieffer.      Out of respect for his wishes, cremation has taken place.      Memorial services will be held Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 11 a.m., preceded by visitation at 10 a.m., at the First Presbyterian Church, 301 E. Aurora St., in Ironwood, with Dr. Jack Fashbaugh, teaching elder, officiating.      Military honors will be accorded, under the auspices   of the Ironwood American Legion Post 5 Honor Guard and Gogebic-Iron Marine Detachment, Marine Corps League.      Luncheon will be served at the Elk & Hound on Country Club Road immediately following services.      George's obituary may be viewed online and condolences given to his family at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.      Arrangements are entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood.